After reading Michel- Rolph Trouillot’s piece “Silencing the Past”, I was able to understand more fully the ways in which history is controlled by certain members of our society. I felt that this piece elaborated on the differences between a story that is remembered versus historical facts that exist. Just as we have found that statues are ways of recreating history, the Sans Souci palace acts in the same way. The palace is one of the only visible remnants of the events that occurred as a result of the Haitian revolution. The peasant who shows the tourists around takes them here, because he understands that this palace holds an important place in the country’s history.
Along with the history of the palace, the peasant incorporates a story with its’ history. The evidence that exists: “the printed record – the pictures and the words left behind by those who saw Sans Souci and the town of Milot … corroborates the crux of the peasant’s story and some of its amazing details.” (Trouillout 35) The palace is historical artifact but it is also a character in a story. Although it may tell parts of the story, there are many parts that are left out. Sans Souci is one of the many “concrete reminders that the uneven power of historical production is expressed also through the power to touch, to see, and to feel” (Trouillout 45). After reading this line I immediately compared the Sans Souci palace to the plaque that was unveiled in memory of Anthony Crawford. The power of touch and vision is present here, because people can run their hands across the plaque and look at the picture of Anthony staring right back at them.
Throughout his writing, Trouillot goes on to discuss how historical production is facilitated in our society. As we discussed in class on Monday, history can be controlled by those who share and retell it. Trouillot states that “the inequalities experienced by the actors lead to uneven historical power in the inscription of traces.” (48) I agree with this argument that Trouillot makes. As a student, we have grown up reading history textbooks that tell us their version of history, the way they want to tell it. For example, many textbooks omit the true story of Native Americans and the oppression that they experienced once white settlers arrived in America.
I found the rest of Trouillot’s writing to be important for our future. I found his writing to be powerful, because he presents the problems that exist when our history is controlled by those in power. These people have the opportunity to effect our future, and I think that it is important that we are aware of this so we can actively work against it happening.